1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to tools, and more particularly to a hand-operated tool for removing an elongated object, especially a finishing nail, that is embedded in a body having a surface through the surface.
2. Background Information
In construction, more labor means higher cost. A small amount of time saved in pulling each spent nail from various surfaces in a building during a remodeling project can mean significant labor savings when the time savings for all of the craftsmen for the duration of the remodeling project are tallied. In short, a better nail removal tool allows talented craftsmen to spend their time on more challenging tasks.
Generally, various tools for helping carpenters and other workers remove spent nails or the like from surfaces are known. There are basically two ways for removing a spent nail from a wooden board: by backing the nail out in the same direction it went in, or by pulling the nail on through the board. The present invention concerns the latter. Regarding the former, the claws of hammers or crowbars or the like can be used for pulling out a nail the way it went in. The claws are placed on either side of a nail head and the worker pulls or levers the hammer to remove the nail from the wood. This is a useful way to pull out traditional, common nails, which have large heads. However, nail heads are often partially or wholly broken off when a molding or other surface is removed during remodeling. There are also many new types of nails being manufactured today. Many of these new types of nails have smooth finishes and are more slender than nails used in previous generations. Pneumatic finishing nails, for example, ordinarily have a very small, thin head. Modern nails also vary widely in length and diameter. They can be difficult to remove without bending or snapping them, or splintering or otherwise damaging the wooden and other surfaces in which they are embedded. Also, in real life, nails do not often present themselves in an erect fashion for removal from boards and other surfaces. A significant percentage of nails to be removed are smashed against the surface, or otherwise bent and/or broken off. In these instances, it is preferable to pull the nail on through the board than to attempt to back the nail out.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to consistently pull a variety of nail types and conditions using currently available tools. Some workers attempt to use pliers or channel locks to pull nails through wooden boards. Typically, available nail pulling tools ("knuckle-busters") do not work effectively on a variety of types and conditions of nails. Available tools often work only on nails which present a substantially straight and significant shaft segment for a nail puller tool to grasp. When a carpenter has to straighten nails in order to use a nail pulling tool, time is wasted. When he or she has to carry several tools for nail removal, and pause to select which tool to use to remove each nail, time is wasted. This is particularly inconvenient when the worker is in an awkward position on a ladder or on a roof or in a crawl space, for example. Incorrect nail removal can result in damage to the wooden surface, such as gouges or holes. In addition, worker frustration and the high physical demands of construction-related jobs are decreased somewhat when nails can be more easily removed.
The tool of the present invention presents a unique advantage in that it can aid in quick, safe, clean removal of a wide variety of nails, especially finishing nails, regardless of the position the nail is in at the time. The worker who carries this tool need not carry or use other tools for pulling nails through a surface. Damage to the surface, such as splintering and gouging, is minimized because nails are more easily and smoothly removed by pulling them through. Crown moldings, baseboards, shelves, paneling, and other surfaces can thus be preserved and reused. The present device does not require much force to use, and preliminary nail straightening is virtually eliminated, so physical demands are less. Worker job frustration is decreased because spent nails can be removed without trouble. The tool of the present invention can grasp and remove short or long, slender or thick nails with smooth or rough finishes. This tool is capable of pulling intact or broken-off nails with broken or small or nonexistent nail heads, so long as some portion of the nail shaft is visible above the surface. The tool is easy to use and is effective in removing quantities of spent nails or other elongated objects. With the preferred trigger mechanism, this tool can also hold the pulled nail until it can be discarded.